The Price
by ringanybells
Summary: What will happen to our favorite pair of U.S. Marshals when Marshall crosses the line?


[_Just a warning, you might think the following reactions are a bit exaggerated. Just keep in mind that you never know exactly how you'll react till you're in a situation. Enjoy.]_

Mary started slightly when her phone went off. She'd been enjoying the last few moments of silence and solitude before boarding a plane back to Albuquerque and her not so quiet life. She glanced at the screen. 'Home' meant Brandi was calling, and knowing Brandi, she was either in trouble or about to flake. She put the phone to her ear, "What is it, Squish?"

The answering voice was definitely not her little sister, but Mary recognized it none the less. "Who's Squish? Don't you ever use anyone's real name?" It was Bobby D., as in homicide detective Dershowitz. Mary's heart skipped a beat.

"What the hell are you doing at my house? Is my sister okay?" A million scenarios ran through Mary's head. She had more than a few enemies, thanks to her job, and Brandi wasn't exactly a model citizen. If something had happened to her, it could take weeks to narrow down the suspect pool.

"Relax, Mary. Your sister is fine, a little shaken up, maybe, but fine." Bobby tried his best to calm the marshal. She was going to give herself a heart attack the way she acted, trying to fix everything for everyone, never taking into account the fact that she herself was only human. He didn't want her stressing about her sister, rushing over here to protect her, and getting killed along the way.

Mary processed his words and took a breath. "Why is she shaken up?" A hint of anger had seeped into her voice. She respected the homicide detective, with whom she worked quite frequently, and she knew he hadn't done anything that would scare or hurt Brandi unnecessarily. But something had happened.

"There was a break in at your place a couple of hours ago. Your sister was here when it happened." Bobby D. did not try to sugarcoat the events of the evening. He'd learned that when dealing with Mary Shannon, blunt and to the point was the best approach. Beating around the bush just pissed her off, and gave her the opportunity to give you hell.

Mary swore under her breath, so much for enjoying her last few moments of peace. "Why am I just hearing about this now? And why are you there if it was just a simple B and E?" Mary's head was full of questions. She didn't mean to take her newly found frustration out on her sometimes friend, but he was the easiest target at the moment. Still, she tried to keep her tone even, so he would know she was just trying to get the facts, and not pick a fight. Damn the fates for sending her to Colorado this week.

"Since your sister was here at the time, there was no need to notify the owner of the house. The guys on scene figured it was either her house, or she had already made the call. I heard the notification on the scanner. I recognized the address, so I thought I'd stop by, see if you needed any help." When he'd heard the address, he'd broken about three traffic laws to get off the highway and en route to the marshal's house.

Feeling slightly abashed for her tone of voice, the only response that Mary could muster was a quiet, "Oh." She took a deep breath, taking a moment to remind herself that she and Bobby were friends and that he was on her side. He was her only link to information until she got back to Albuquerque, and there was still half an hour before her plane boarded._ Crap._ "What's the damage?"

"They came in through a ground floor window, the bathroom. Your sister was upstairs putting together a load of laundry. She heard a bunch of noise as they started sacking your living room. She called the cops from upstairs. We caught both guys escaping out the front door."

Mary let out a frustrated sigh. Just once she'd like an uninvited guest to come over and organize her place, instead of trashing it. Seriously, where was Martha Stewart when you needed her? She'd just gotten the FBI to clean up their mess before flying out. "Is it better or worse than the last time my house was raided?"

Bobby let out a small chuckle. "It's better. The FBI must train their guys special to create that kind of mayhem. But it's definitely not going to make you happy."

"Right, of course," Mary thought for a second, trying to figure out the best plan of action. "How's Brandi?"

Bobby let out a slow chuckle. "I saw you come out of that basement, and you acted like you'd just had a day at the spa. Your sister has been freaking out since before I got here. It's hard to believe you two are related.

Mary shook her head. It was no secret that Brandi had been the one in the family to inherit Jinx's flare for the dramatic, "Just great. I'm sorry for that, by the way. I know how my sister can be."

"Hey, it's okay, completely understandable. It's good to know that there's only one of you in this town. It makes you more special." He continued fast, before she could comment. "I'm sure she'll be fine once the shock wears off, but she probably shouldn't be alone. Any chance you'll be here soon?"

"Sorry, Bobby, but I'm still a few hours out." She thought for a moment. Raph was at an away game tonight and Jinx was still in rehab. The only other person she could call was her partner. He was going to hate her in the morning. "Is there any way you can hang out with her until Marshall shows? I'm going to call him right now."

"Yea, I can hang out for a few." He wanted to offer her some kind of reassurance, but what could he say? This was hardly the worst thing that had happened to her, or her house for that matter.

"Thanks, Bobby. I swear, when I get back, I'm going to treat you to a donut."

"I'll hold you to that, Mary." She disconnected without further pleasantries and pressed speed dial one.

Stan was currently in DC for the annual meeting of the department heads, which put Marshall in charge. Normally there would be no travel during this time, but this had been an emergency. The absence of both her and Stan meant that Marshall would still be in the office.

She heard the phone ringing on the other end of the line. She checked her watch as she waited. Her plane wouldn't be leaving for another 20 minutes. Her partner answered on the second ring. "You better not be calling to tell me that you missed your flight, because that's the last one home tonight."

Marshall hated when Mary went out in the field alone. He preferred to be at her side at all times. Too many bad things could happen to her when she was alone. Her recent abduction was proof of that. Of course, he knew he couldn't watch her 24/7, but at least in the same state he knew where to find her and how to help her.

"The plane doesn't even leave for another twenty minutes, doofus, so relax." She allowed herself a small smile at Marshall's joke. He'd once told her that being late was a controlling person's way of expressing that control. She tried very hard to be on time after that, just to prove him wrong. "I just got off the phone with our favorite detective."

The jovial tone of Marshall's voice was gone. A call from APD was never a good sign, especially when it was the homicide division calling. "What happened?"

"It's nothing too bad, no bodies." She hastened to reassure him.

"Was he looking for a date?" Marshall allowed a little of his sarcasm to return, now that he knew no one was dead. "I would have paid good money to hear that conversation."

"Shut up. Dershowitz didn't ask me out. He better not do it anytime soon if he wants to keep his set." She wandered for a moment why Marshall always went for the date card, as if he feared that if he didn't make a joke, it might actually happen. "There was a break in."

"Where?"

"My place, he said it's pretty trashed. And I just cleaned up the mess from the last intruders."

"Is Brandi okay?"

"That's actually why I'm calling. Bobby says she is fine, but that she's a little on edge. I hate to do this to you, but is there any way you could sit with her until I get home? I know it's a lot to ask, and I wish there was anyone else that I could ask, but we both know there isn't. "

Marshall allowed himself a small smile. Mary spent her days ordering him around, without ever showing remorse, and it didn't bother him. He found it cute that she was so reluctant to ask him this when there were so many other favors she had asked. And he wouldn't have it any other way. "It's fine, Mare, I was just about to leave. I'll head over right now."

"Thank you, Marshall. I'm so sorry to put you out like this."

"It's what partners are for. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Yea, see you." She disconnected just in time to hear the announcement for boarding. She picked up her bag and moved toward the line. She hoped that Marshall still wanted to be her partner in a few hours.

Marshall closed up the files he had been working on and put them away. He loved his job, but paperwork was always more fun when Mary was in the office. The two of them would often order in and move into the conference room to write reports or whatever else needed to be done. The night would then be passed with Mary making snide comments or observations about his witnesses or her own. They would often get sidetracked and end up on different topics. It was nights like those where Marshall got to know his partner.

On one such night, she had shared that both she and her sister loved Hawaiian pizza, so as he walked out the door, he placed an order to be picked up. He figured Brandi would probably be hungry, and if not, then Mary would have something to eat when she got home.

The drive to the Shannon house passed quickly. It was a route he had taken many times in the last six months. He just wished it would be the other sister greeting him at the door. He and Brandi had never spent much time in the same room with Mary present, let alone without her. He was fairly certain the only thing they had in common was the blonde marshal, and even that only went so far. Luckily, Marshall was well informed about many things, so hopefully he would be able to find something to talk about. He pulled into the Shannon driveway. There were still two cruisers parked on the street, plus Bobby D.'s unmarked car. Marshall made his way up the drive. The front door was open, but he knocked before entering anyway.

"Hello? Brandi? Bobby? Is there anybody here?" He moved into the house and through the hall, into the living room. It had been just a few weeks before when the FBI had ransacked this house. Mary had just gotten them to clean it up. The state of the living room wasn't as bad as it had been then, but, damn, was it close. Marshall let out a low whistle as he surveyed the damage. Mary was going to be pissed. Movement on the other side of the room drew his attention.

Brandi and Bobby D. entered from the kitchen. Marshall could see several uniformed cops behind them, standing around the island.

Bobby D. crossed the room and held out his hand for Marshall to shake. "Hey Mann, thanks for showing up. When Mary said you'd be by, I thought it would have taken longer."

"I was leaving the office as she called. It was just as easy to come right over." He looked around the room again. "Any idea who did this?"

"We caught the guys. They're at the station. I'm headed over there next to see if this was random or a direct attack on Mary." Bobby D. threw Marshall a knowing look. From his experiences with Mary, he knew that either could be a possibility.

"Hopefully this was just random. I don't know if I can handle anyone else trying to kill her just yet. You'll let me know if that's the case, right?" He didn't bother hiding from Bobby how much he cared about his partner anymore. The detective had seen Marshall during the 15 plus hours in which Mary had been missing.

Dershowitz nodded. "I'll let you know if there's something to worry about." He watched as Marshall nodded, though he wasn't sure if the man had heard a word of what he'd just said. "Are the two of you going to be all right, or should I leave a squad car?"

Marshall looked over to Bobby D. "We'll be fine. Tell your men to get home to their families.

"Thanks, Marshall." Bobby nodded to the officers in the room. They stood and gathered their things. They nodded goodbyes to Brandi and Marshall as they exited the house. When only the three of them remained, Bobby spoke again, "If you need anything, let me know. Brandi, it was a pleasure spending time with you, I only hope that next time, it's under better circumstances." Bobby turned to Marshall. The two of them may not be the best of friends, but they shared something in common, Mary. Bobby wouldn't deny that he thought the blonde marshal was hot, but after her abduction he had realized there was no point in him trying for her. Not because of what had happened to her, but out of respect for her partner.

It was obvious to anyone with eyes just how much Marshall cared for his partner, how much he loved her. Bobby was pretty sure even Mary saw it sometimes; he figured she just chose to ignore it, or was afraid of it. Watching Marshall worry over his partner in those long hours in which she had been missing, Bobby could never bring himself to come between them. Instead he had allowed his attraction to die out, and in its place a deep seeded respect grew. It took quite a woman to face the kinds of things she faced and still kick ass. He knew this new development would barely touch her, but he hated that things like this kept cropping up in her path. By the look on Marshall's face, so did her partner.

Bobby once again nodded to Brandi and Marshall and left. Marshall moved passed Brandi into the kitchen. She followed. He took a seat at the island, placing the pizza on the counter. Brandi followed his lead and sat as well. He opened the box and gestured for her to dig in, which she did, murmuring her thanks. Silence descended for several minutes while they ate.

Brandi was the one to break it. "What are you doing here, Marshall?" Her voice was exhausted, her tone questioning. It seemed like a stupid thing for her to ask. They both knew why he was here, but if she needed him to say it aloud, he would.

"Mary asked me to come." Marshall's response was quiet, as if those five words explained everything. And in his mind, they did. There was little his partner would ask of him that he wouldn't do. It was the code of partners, of best friends. You did what was asked, what was needed. You stood beside your person in the face of whatever life threw at them and you gave them strength to survive it. And when they felt like they just couldn't take anymore, you convinced them that they could, that everything happened for a reason, or that sometimes you just needed to flow.

Brandi, however, did not accept his response. "Do you always do everything she tells you?" She sounded like a five year old.

"Not everything," Marshall admitted hesitantly. He didn't know where Brandi was going with this conversation. She finished her slice of pizza and stood up. She walked over to the counter, bent down under the sink; she was looking for something. When she stood up again, she was clutching a bottle of Jack Daniels. She then opened a cabinet and pulled out two shot glasses, setting one before herself and the other before Marshall. She filled them.

"It's been a long, tough day for me. Will you share a drink with me?"

Marshall wasn't really in the mood, but he nodded. One shot wouldn't kill him. They clinked glasses and threw them back. Brandi refilled them. She didn't wait for the clink this time, before throwing hers back. After that she didn't even bother with pouring, she took swigs right from the bottle. "When have you ever said no to my sister? I mean like actually put your foot down and denied her something, anything?"

Marshall tried to think. It was true that it didn't often happen, especially recently. Nowadays he was reminded every time he looked at her just how close he had come to losing her. It made turning down her favors very hard.

Brandi nodded, wavering slightly from the booze already. "That's what I thought." A smile crossed her face.

Marshall wouldn't let her win though, "When was the last time Mary said no to you?" That wiped the smirk right off her face. This time when she raised the bottle, it was definitely more of a chug than a sip.

"That's none of your business."

"Yes, it is. Mary's my partner. What affects her life, affects mine."

"That's a load of bull. Why are you lying to yourself, Marshall? My sister doesn't care about you. She doesn't care about anybody. I bet she just loves to rub your nose in all your mistakes, too."

Marshall could hear the hostility in Brandi's voice, and he wondered at it. Mary had done so much for her little sister. And Brandi had caused her so much pain and grief. How could Brandi speak so callously of her older sister?

"You don't believe me? My sister has been lording her perfections over me for years." Brandi took another gulp from the bottle. She'd downed almost half since they'd started this conversation. "I could have been killed today. And where is Mary?" She waved her arms, indicating the empty room, "Nowhere to be found, surprise, surprise."

"She's out of state, Brandi. She can only get here as fast as the plane." Marshall stood up for his partner. He hated listening to anyone put Mary down.

"Whatever," Brandi took another swig. "My sister is not perfect. She is screwed up, majorly. When Chico proposed, she slapped him and threw the ring across the room. And he tried so hard to make it special." Marshall cringed. He hadn't known that Raphael proposed. He tried to hide the joy that came with knowing Mary had turned him down.

"What makes my sister so special? Huh? Why do all the guys want Mary?" She looked Marshall in the eye. "Why do you love her?"

Marshall looked away, refusing to answer. He didn't know if Brandi was asking him specifically or about men in general, but he wasn't about to try and explain. Not that he could. He'd spent the last few years at Mary's side. Somewhere along the way, it had happened. He couldn't change it, and he couldn't help it.

"Oh, forget it." She took one final swig from the bottle. She placed her head in her hands for a minute, trying to compose herself. When she raised her head, he could see the tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Marshall. You must think I'm a horrible person. I know my sister has done more for me then she has had to. I just hate letting her down. She's going to be so pissed when she sees this."

"I don't think you're horrible. I think you've had a crappy day. Your sister gets like this sometimes, too. But you didn't let her down. There's no way you could have stopped this. Trust me, when I talked to her, she was just glad that you were okay." He tried to comfort Brandi, knowing that while Mary wouldn't blame her sister, she would still be pretty pissed.

"You're sweet, a terrible liar, but sweet." Brandi shook her head at Marshall's attempt to cheer her up. "Why don't we go into the den and watch a movie? Mary bought Back to the Future a few weeks ago. I love that movie."

Marshall smiled to himself, "That sounds good." He closed the pizza box and put it in the fridge while Brandi went to set up the movie. He screwed the lid back on the liquor bottle and placed it on top of the cupboard. He turned off the kitchen light and followed Brandi into the den.

She was seated on the couch, remote in hand. He sat on the other end. She pressed play and they lapsed into silence as the movie began.

Marshall's thoughts of course turned to Mary. He was happily surprised to see she had gone out and bought this movie. It was cute how she'd sometimes do that. He'd mention something in passing or try to explain something to her, and to his face she'd feign disinterest. But he'd noticed that every now and then she would go the extra step and attempt to learn more about whatever the topic had been. He'd once seen a page bookmarked on her computer about crinoline and he'd noticed a book on one of her shelves explaining Schrödinger's cat the last time he was in her house. They were little things but they gave him hope for a future between them, however far out of her league he may be.

Brandi was also thinking about Mary, about how mad Mary would be if her sister and her partner had sex. Marshall was a nice guy, kind of cute in a dorky sort of way. He even looked kind of toned. Brandi was sure he could give her quite a ride. Would Mary care?

The two of them sat there throughout the movie, each lost in their own thoughts. As the credits began to role, Brandi made her decision. She was going to go for it. She was sure Marshall wouldn't object and it's not like he was Mary's boyfriend or anything.

Brandi hit the stop button and looked over at Marshall. He was checking his watch, trying to figure out how long until Mary got home. Brandi figured that the best way to do this would be the most direct way, so she turned toward him, threw her right leg over his lap and settled on top of him. When he opened his mouth to protest, she moved in. Her lips connected with his and she thrust her tongue into his still open mouth. She moved her hands to his pant's button. It wasn't her smoothest operation, but it was definitely her quickest. All three actions spanned the length of about two seconds. Brandi didn't care if the seduction part went quickly, because she knew the ride would last a good long while.

But she could feel his resistance. Even as she pulled at his belt, she felt his hands move to her shoulders to push her off. She could also feel his head pulling back, in an effort to disconnect the kiss. As soon as her tongue was out of his mouth, he said her name in confusion, "Brandi?"

His voice, however, was drowned out by the gasp of surprise turned broken sob that issued from the front door. Unbeknownst to them both, Mary had pulled up as the credits began to roll and had opened the door, just in time to see Brandi on top of Marshall, leaning in for a kiss, her hands on the button of his pants.

Marshall's eyes went from Brandi's face to the shocked face of his partner. He stood abruptly, pouring Brandi onto the floor. But he couldn't be bothered with worry about her, because he was too afraid of the look on her sister's face. He watched as Mary looked from her sister on the floor to Marshall, her gaze searching for his eyes but locking instead on Marshall's waist, where she had seen her sister's hands last.

Marshall had heard Mary complain about Raph and Brandi. He didn't want her to think for a second that he and Brandi had been sneaking around behind her back. He didn't want her to think that they'd been doing anything at all, because they most definitely were not, and never would be. He knew very well if she believed something had happened between him and Brandi, she would never give him a chance. When Marshall opened his mouth to explain, he could hear the desperation, "Mary, wait, this isn't what…"

She cut him off. "Get out." He could hear the betrayal in her tone. He hadn't heard her voice sound so broken since her ordeal with Spanky. His heart broke for her.

"Mary, please, will you let me explain?"

She shook her head and he could see the tears glistening in her eyes. "No, I won't. Just leave, Marshall. Now."

He moved toward her, unwilling to let it end like this. If she would just see reason and talk to him for a moment, he could fix everything. He reached a hand toward his partner, but she took two steps back.

"Don't touch me. Just get out." Betrayal warred with anger for dominance in her voice.

Marshall hung his head in defeat. He'd get nowhere with her tonight. His explanation would have to wait until the morning. He quietly stepped past her and moved out the front door. He turned around to try one last time to explain, but before he could form the words, the door was slammed in his face. He allowed his head to fall forward, hitting the door with a dull thump. He could hear Mary's voice on the other side.

Mary looked at her sister, still on the floor where she'd been dumped from Marshall's lap. "What did you do?" Now that Marshall was gone, the anger had dimmed. All she felt now was pain. She expected this from Brandi. She screwed up and she screwed people over, that was her life. But Marshall was _her_ best friend. He knew better than anyone what Brandi had done, how Mary felt about her younger sister. How could that matter so little to him that he'd risk their partnership for a quick lay? And in her own house no less.

Brandi's reply was quiet. "Nothing, you interrupted us before we got to the fun part."

It took Mary every ounce of restraint not to slap her sister. "That is my best friend, my _partner._ What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking that we're both single adults. You don't own him Mary. He can fuck whoever he wants." Brandi's earlier anger at her sister came back. Who did she think she was, telling Brandi who she could or could not sleep with?

"No, he can't" The words left Mary's mouth before she could stop them. Brandi was right, technically Mary had no say in whom Marshall dated or slept with, but there was no way in hell she was going to stand by and watch Marshall get pulled into Hurricane Brandi. She pushed forward, "You and Marshall will never sleep together. He doesn't want you, you're not his type."

Brandi laughed. "I'm everyone's type, Mary."

"Nope, sorry, Marshall likes his women smart not easy. He'd never sleep with you." She uttered the words with a conviction she no longer felt. Four hours ago, she would have bet anything that Marshall would not sleep with Brandi. But she would have also laid the same wager about the likelihood of walking in on her sitting in his lap. Twenty minutes ago, she would have said she knew Marshall better than anyone else, as well as he knew her. But now she couldn't be sure of anything, except the pain that was ripping through her chest.

"Believe what you want. You're just jealous because you want him. Isn't that right? You're pissed I got there first, because you think everyone and everything belongs to you. You keep telling yourself he'd never go for me, but don't be fooled. I felt exactly what he wanted." Brandi spoke the lie quietly, and it slid like a knife into Mary's heart. Seeing the pain cross her sister's face, she turned and walked out of the room and down the hall. Mary let out a shaky breath. She needed air, and the thought of Brandi's lips on her partner, his hands on Brandi's hips, caused her stomach to roll.

Instead of following Brandi out of the room, Mary ran back toward the front door. She wrenched it open and dashed outside.

Marshall managed to move out of the way just in time to avoid collision with her. He watched as she stumbled down the porch, blind to his presence. She collapsed on her own front lawn, arms holding her up as she heaved onto the grass. She had not eaten, too worried about her sister to consume the meager rations offered on the plane and too anxious to return to Marshall to get food on her way from the airport. Nothing came up, but her stomach did not stop its rebellion. She crouched on the lawn for several minutes, her body racked with heaves, before she could control them enough to catch a breath. When she was finally able, she sat back on her heels and let the tears come.

She hated to admit it, even to herself, but Brandi was right. She was jealous, not because Brandi had gotten there first, but because Brandi had the courage to go there at all. For three years, Marshall and Mary had been together. He had become the person in her life that mattered. When she needed help, she called Marshall. When she received good news, she only ever felt the need to tell Marshall. And when she was in mortal peril, it was Marshall she wanted to save her. Somehow, despite all the guards she'd put up in every other aspect of her life, she'd fallen into the trap. For some people, it was a family member, for some it was a sponsor. Mary Shannon had somehow allowed her best friend and partner to become the most important person in her life.

She'd learned the day her father left, that you could rely on and trust only one person, yourself. That truth had been reinforced by ten years of taking care of Brandi and Jinx. In her time as a marshal, she'd seen time and again how you could be left broken by someone if you gave them your heart. She had personally helped dozens of people pick up the pieces of failed relationship after broken marriage. Still, somewhere along the way, Marshall had snuck his way into her heart, and now she was paying for it.

Marshall watched silently, his heart breaking at the sight of his partner crying. He wanted so badly to comfort her, but he knew he had been the cause of her pain. He had no solace to offer her.

She wept silently on her lawn for several minutes before it became too much for Marshall to bear. He stepped down from the porch silently, and made his way onto the grass. He stopped a few paces behind her. She felt the presence at her back. "Brandi, you are the last person I want to see right now. In fact, it might be a good idea if you went somewhere else for a few days. I don't know if I can stomach the sight of you." Her words were harsh, but true. She'd spent her life sacrificing for her little sister. She had constantly put Brandi's happiness before her own, made sure Brandi had even when she herself did not. She never thought in a million years it would also work that way with her partner. She had thought that Marshall alone was hers.

"What about me?" His voice was pained. He'd seen the entire array of Mary's emotions from pissed off to turned on, from wound up to worn down. He'd comforted her when he'd been shot, argued with her over his transfer, annoyed her on a daily basis and held her after she had been abducted. None of those experiences had prepared him for this. It broke his heart to see her so destroyed. His bullet wound, her own abduction, neither had left her as shattered as she was right now.

She gulped in air. She'd expected Marshall to take off after he'd been so unceremoniously dismissed. "What are you doing here, Marshall?" Her voice was barely audible.

"I'm not going anywhere till we've talked, till you've heard me out." His eyes begged for a chance to explain.

Every piece of Mary's brain screamed at her to make him leave, to ignore him and start filing papers for a partner transfer. But her stupid, traitorous heart was in control. And every piece of her now shattered heart begged for an explanation that would cease the pain of betrayal that was currently coursing through her veins. "What could you possibly have to say, Marshall? What do you think will make _this_ better?" She swept out her hands to indicate her current state, still in a heap on the front lawn, looking up at him with wounded eyes.

"I didn't ask for her to kiss me, Mare. I didn't want her to kiss me." It sounded lame, even to his own ears. But the words were true. There was no situation in which Brandi was better than Mary in his eyes. In no world would he ever choose Brandi. He was in love with his partner. To him, every other woman was just substandard. How could anyone else compare with her wild beauty, her fierce spirit, her open heart?

The sarcasm in Mary's reply hit him like a brick. "Yeah, that's what it looked like to me, too. Especially the part where her hands were working their way down your pants. What would have happened if you _did _want it?"

"That was all Brandi. She pounced on me; I had no idea what she was doing. I have no interest whatsoever in your sister." He put emphasis on the end of his sentence, hoping Mary would understand what he meant.

"So this is all on her? You're not at fault at all?" Her natural response to protect and shield Brandi kicked in. The anger rising in her allowed Mary to get herself under control. The tears were still running down her face, but the sobs had stopped. She was able to slowly stand up, wobbling only slightly. When Marshall moved forward to catch her, she shot him one of her patented 'if looks could kill' glares and steadied herself.

"Mary, you know how Brandi is." He kept his hands to himself. But his worry for her current state of health was written all over his face. She seemed unsteady on her feet. Her dry heaves meant she'd had nothing to eat in hours, at least. This kind of emotional turmoil on top of an empty stomach was not good for her. He desperately wanted to take her hand and guide her to a seat in the kitchen, where he could get her something to eat and take a chance to explain things.

"And how many times have I told you about her? If you didn't want it, why'd you put yourself in that position?" She was pissed and she was grasping for anything she could to hurt him the way he had hurt her. It didn't help that she could read his face like an open book. His concern only seemed to make the pain of betrayal cut deeper.

Marshall's next words were out before he could stop himself, "You asked me to come over here."

If he had slapped her, it would have hurt less. Her voice was small when she finally forced words from her throat, "So this is my fault? I deserve this?"

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"Then what did you mean?"

"I didn't come over here to comfort Brandi or to be with Brandi. I came over here because you asked, because I wanted to be here, for you."

Mary shook her head in defeat. His words were everything she wanted to hear. But he'd already broken her heart once tonight. She wasn't going to give him another chance. She wasn't sure she'd survive it a second time. "Was it worth it?"

Marshall had seen many of Mary's mood swings and he was usually pretty good at following her train of thought. But in this particular situation, he was utterly lost. "Was what worth it? What do you mean?"

"Was getting with Brandi worth our partnership?" Mary's sentence came out in defeat. She let the anger go and the pain washed over her.

Marshall's answering tone did not sound defeated. Instead he sounded scared, downright terrified that he had succeeded where so many other men had failed, in breaking his partner. "Don't do this, Mary."

He saw a flash go through her eyes. He felt the relief run through his own veins. She wasn't as broken as she looked. In time, she would recover. The relief vanished with her next words, "I didn't. You did."

Marshall could see everything in Mary's eyes at that moment. She was slowly trying to convince herself to let him go and just walk away. The thought of losing her put him on the offensive. "What about Brandi? I lose my best friend and she gets what, a stern talking to? How is that fair?" They probably weren't the best words, the best argument, but it was what he had.

"What about this is fair? Brandi doesn't know any better, I thought you did."

Mary's lack of anger at Brandi, along with his overwhelming fear of losing her, pushed Marshall to keep her talking. If he could make her listen to him, maybe he could make her see. He had spent three years at her side, silently loving her, helping her with whatever he could. He was not going to let something this stupid drive a wedge between them. He had learned not too long ago what it felt like to lose her. He wasn't going to let it happen again. "What about Raphael? You forgave him for cheating on you, for spending too much time with Brandi.

Confusion over Marshall's words stopped her brain. For the first time since he had snuck up behind her, she responded automatically. Her words came out uncensored. "I don't care about Raphael."

Marshall heard her words, but more importantly he heard the double meaning in them. He grasped onto that double meaning. "He's your boyfriend. I'm just your partner. It's supposed to bother you when he sneaks around with your sister. I didn't do anything wrong."

The anger that welled in her this time pulled the words from her mouth unbidden. "You're not just my partner, you idiot. I love you. I trusted you. You're supposed to be the person I can rely on to never hurt me. How could you choose Brandi?"

Marshall was momentarily stunned. He had heard her words loud and clear. She'd said she loved him. In that single moment of pure emotion, she had revealed exactly why she was so upset at seeing him with Brandi. It wasn't merely the kiss, it was her fear that he would pick Brandi over her. If only she knew the truth. He hesitated another moment, wondering how he could convince her of his own love, without scaring her.

"I didn't choose Brandi over you, Mare. I would never, could never, choose your sister, or any other woman for that matter, over you. I swear what you think you saw tonight, it wasn't something I asked for, or even wanted." He took a deep breath. This was the moment where he could put everything on the line and risk driving her away, not out of anger this time, but out of fear. "If I could choose the person I wanted to do that with, it wouldn't be Brandi."

The anger was chased from Mary's face as shock and fear moved in. Marshall took another chance. He quickly removed the several feet separating them. His hands gripped her upper arms and when she didn't push him away, he leaned in to place his lips against hers. Not wanting to press his luck, he went no further, relinquishing control to end the kiss to her.

She didn't. The connection of his lips with hers set her on fire. She deepened the kiss, ever so slightly, reveling in having this. When at last she pulled back, desperate for oxygen, he moved his lips to her ear. In a breathless voice, full of all the passion he held for her, he whispered the response to her earlier declaration. "I love you, too."

She remained in his arms for a total of three seconds. That was how long it took for her to recover enough brain capacity to make sense of his words. He felt her stiffen; he felt her muscles coil as she prepared to flee from his embrace. But he was ready for it. As she began to pull away, he tightened his hold on her arms.

"Marshall, stop. Let go." She struggled weakly against him. She wanted those words from him, but she was still raw from what she'd seen. Marshall knew that if he let her go now, he might never catch her again. "Don't do this, Marshall." She echoed his earlier plea, her desperation equal to what his had been. But he knew her voice well enough to discern the plea within her words.

"Mary, listen to me. I love you. For awhile now, I've known. When you were missing, I felt like a piece of my own heart had been torn from me. I kept wondering how I would survive if I didn't get to you in time, and I realized I wouldn't. Finding you in that basement alive and relatively intact, I've never been so relieved. I love you, Mary Shannon, you and only you."

Mary stopped struggling as he spoke. Her mind registered his words, but she fought accepting them, desperate to shield her heart from more pain. "Shut up. Why are you doing this to me, Marshall?"

Marshall shook his head. "You feel it too, Mare, you love me. I could see it in your eyes the day I was shot but I let it go. Now though, now that you've said it," he leaned in to place a gentle kiss on her forehead, "Now that I've kissed you, and felt you kiss me back, it can't be undone."

"I can't lose you, Marshall." Ten minutes ago, she'd been considering writing him out of her life. She'd been mad at him and he had hurt her. When it was her decision, she could handle it. But now fate had taken the decision from her hands. His declaration of love, and her own admittance, made their eventual separation an almost definite occurrence. The men she loved would leave her, just like her father. As long as she kept Marshall at a distance, when he left, he would only break her heart, not shatter it.

Marshall allowed himself a small smile at Mary's irony. "I'm not going to leave you, Mare. You won't lose me."

Despite the panic in her eyes and the skepticism on her face, he could feel her relax ever so slightly against him. "I've been heartbroken before, Marshall. I remember what it was like to stare out the window, waiting. To jump at every phone call, look up at every car, to yearn for just one more minute? I can't survive that again." Her words sounded foreboding, but she wasn't denying him, she was setting terms.

"You'll never have to wait, not for me. There is no where I want to be that isn't by your side." And it was true. Even now, as just her partner, he followed where she led, whenever he could, wherever she went.

"I come with more baggage than the lost luggage counter at JFK." A small smile crossed her lips, her heart rising at the thought of being with Marshall.

He answered her the best way he knew how. His kiss this time was passion from the moment their lips touched. He had waited years for a chance to do this, and he was not going to let the opportunity pass.

He moved his hands from Mary's upper arms to circle around her waist, pulling her closer to him. When she let out a small gasp at the new contact, he snuck his tongue into her mouth. Which is when she surrendered; she returned his kiss, her own arms moving to encircle him. Not one to be dominated, she matched his movements, until they finally had to break apart for air.

In his eyes was pure joy. Hers still held traces of fear, but all traces of anger were gone, replaced with her own elation.

She initiated the next kiss. What surprised him was that it was nothing like what he'd come to expect from Mary. In all the time he had known her, everything she had done, she had done with everything in her. She made a point to be strong, forceful, and usually caustic. Behaving that way made sure that her peers took her seriously and that her witnesses followed her directions. He'd seen some moments where she could be sweet and soft, but they had been at times when she thought that no one was watching. This kiss was everything Mary tried so hard not to be, but it was still one hundred percent of her. Her lips were gentle, not rushing what she knew was going to change both of their lives.

She was a woman very in touch with her sexuality. So she couldn't deny that she had thought about sex with Marshall on more than one occasion. In the beginning, it had always been a passionate one night stand, after a long night or in a seedy motel while out of state. In those early fantasies, it was hard and fast, both of them running on nerves and pent up sexual tension. That had changed recently, after Marshall's faux pas in the stables, when he had kissed her, when she was trying to form their cover. Before that, it hadn't occurred to her he felt that way as well. And after Marshall had been shot, those fast one night stands had turned from sex between partners to the beginnings of real relationships, had changed to love. When she fantasized about Marshall now, she was always there in the morning when he woke up, she didn't run. And when he thought she was sleeping, and whispered 'I love you' to her inert form, she would smile and quietly return the sentiment. That's what she wanted from tonight, not just sex, but love. She wanted tonight to be a beginning, not an end.

So the kiss was slow, and he allowed it to stay that way, following her lead. For him, his Mary fantasy had only ever been the whole package. He'd never wanted _just sex_ from his partner. He wanted everything she could give, and he wanted to give everything to her in turn. His hands moved from around her lower back to settle at her hips, loving the feel of her womanly curves beneath his hands.

Her hands made their way up and around his neck, causing her shirt to ride up. When Marshall's hands connected with her bare hips, it caused the leash on their passion to break. Sweet had been fine for Mary when there had been a layer or two of cloth between her and her partner, but with his warm hands on her waist, she couldn't restrain herself. She threw herself into the kiss, telling him in no uncertain terms what she wanted. When he didn't pull away, she took that as an agreement. She used her hold on his neck to pull herself up and wrap her thighs around his waist. His hands immediately went from the bare skin of her hips to support her ass, pulling her closer to him as he tried to keep his lips on hers. Marshall had no problem supporting both of them, but they could go no further out here on the lawn, so he slowly began to step backward, moving toward the porch. When his heel hit the bottom step, he stumbled, losing his balance and falling back.

Mary let out a small chuckle, using Marshall's slight distraction to move from his lips to his neck. She left a trail of kisses from his ear to the small 'v' of his exposed chest. Her hands moved to the buttons of his shirt, fumbling with them as she continued to pepper kisses all over his neck. His hands were still on her butt, holding her tightly to him. As he felt her move down the line of buttons, some small shred of sense returned to him. If she kept going, they would end up screwing right here on her porch steps. That's not what he wanted. He didn't want to screw his partner; he wanted to make love to the woman who meant everything to him. And he couldn't do that on her front stairs.

He pushed back, gently removing Mary's tongue from his mouth. They were both breathless and air came in ragged drags as he tried to talk to her. "Mary, stop, we have to… hold on…Mary, wait a minute."

She pulled back and he could see pain in her eyes. He didn't want her. She'd put herself out there and he had stepped all over her heart.

He saw the conclusion in her eyes and rushed to assure her, "I don't want to do this out here. I want to do this right, in a bed. I want tonight to be more than just sex."

He saw her eyes change from doubt to hope. She kicked herself for believing Marshall could be so cruel as to tell her he loved her and then crush her. And she smiled that he would care so much about tonight.

She slowly pushed herself off him, helping him to stand as well. She didn't drop his hand as she climbed the stairs, him following. She opened the front door and stepped to the side to allow Marshall inside. She pushed the door closed and pulled Marshall toward her. She was all for sex in a bed but she couldn't wait that long to have the feel of him again.

He welcomed the kiss, allowing his passion and desire to break free. He pushed her back until she hit the hallway wall. She then turned them, so his back was against the wall. They made their way slowly along the corridor. Somewhere along the way, she discarded his jacket. On the stairs, she lost her blouse, and his belt disappeared. At the top of the stairs, he pushed her hips against the wall.

He could feel her heart pounding and her chest heaving through her tank top. She could feel his erection pressed against her thigh. She pushed him back slightly, working her hands between them. She undid the last few buttons on his shirt and pushed it off and down his arms. A chill came over her as his hands left her skin to discard the shirt, sending a shiver down her spine.

Once the shirt was gone, he pushed her against the wall again, removing the space she had needed to get rid of his button up. With the support of the wall against her back, she once again wrapped her legs around his waist.

Marshall couldn't wait any longer. He moved his hands from their position against the wall on either side of her head to firmly grip her ass, once more supporting her. He then moved away from the wall and walked down the hall toward her bedroom. She continued to kiss him as he went. Her lips on his were distracting and he bumped into a table and the door jamb trying to make it into her bedroom.

As he crossed the threshold, he kicked her door closed. He then threw her onto the bed. She looked up at him with fierce eyes, accepting the challenge he had first issued. She swung her legs back and rose up on her knees. He moved toward her again, desperate to taste her once more. His hands slowly moved down her back, searching for the hem of her shirt. She was doing the same thing on him. Both managed to locate and pull off the other's shirt at the same time. And then Marshall's strong chest was against Mary's, clad only in her black lace bra above the waist. Where skin met skin, fire raged. His hands went around to her lower back, hers to the button on his pants.

She made quick work of it and pushed them down. Marshall slipped his shoes off and stepped out of his jeans. Feeling at a slight disadvantage, standing in Mary's bedroom in just his boxers, Marshall decided to level the playing field. He ran his hands up Mary's stomach, pausing briefly as he ran them over her still covered breasts. When they reached her shoulders, he gripped them and pushed her back. Not having been ready for it, she lost balance and went down. Marshall didn't give her a chance to recover. He kneeled over her, straddling her waist. He leaned in, once again claiming her lips. He allowed his right hand to trace a slow line down her stomach, feeling the goose bumps that rose on her skin. His left hand found hers, pulling it up beside her head and entwining their fingers.

His right hand reached the top of her pants. He trailed his fingers along her waistline. She bucked under his touch, trying to speed him up. But Marshall had waited a very long time for this, and even if she didn't know it, Mary had too. He was not going to rush through this because that was what Mary was used to. He was going to take this opportunity to show Mary just what could happen when two people were in love.

He moved his lips from her mouth, slowly kissing his way down her neck, moving his lips over her heaving chest. He was careful to skirt the lacey bra. He allowed his right hand to find the button of her pants and slowly undid it. She waited another second while he undid her zipper before she reached her free hand down and tried to move her pants over her hips. But he quickly captured her hand in his, entwining their fingers and bringing them to the other side of her head. She groaned at his block and he moved his lips back to her mouth.

"I've been waiting two years for you to open your eyes, to stop running from me and give me the opportunity to show you what love can mean, what it can do." He kissed her then, teasing her tongue with his own, knowing it was driving her crazy. "I plan on taking my time tonight. Stop trying to rush everything, Mare." He kissed her again, slowly.

She pulled her head back, searching for his eyes, "Two years, doofus? I figured you'd want to rush this part just a little. That's a long time to wait. Trust me, I know."

He heard it in her voice, saw it in her eyes. She had been in love with him as long as he had been in love with her. And they were both victims to that age old adage, they were fools in love. A smile lit up his face. "I do, too. But that's why we need to take our time here." He caught her eyes, "Trust me, okay?"

She looked into his eyes. He'd said he loved her earlier, but she could see it in his eyes now. And more importantly, she knew that she could in fact trust him. He hadn't spent two years waiting for her to realize she loved him, because that had been obvious the day he'd been shot, the day he walked her out of that basement. He'd been waiting two years for her to allow herself to believe in him, to trust him. He'd been waiting for her to realize that _he_ wasn't going to run and to let him in. So she leaned forward and kissed him, gently. Not the passionate lip locks they had shared earlier in the evening, but the kind she had given him that night in the gas station. "Okay."

Marshall returned the kiss, taking his time to show Mary just how much he loved her. He released her hands and slowly trailed his own down her sides. As he slowly slid her pants off her hips and down her thighs, she moved hers to his hair. She'd wanted to run her hands through it for ages.

True to his word, Marshall took his time with Mary. And she enjoyed every second of it, as did he. This night had been a long time coming and neither could believe just how good it was. Mary had had great sex before, but she'd never made love before. That made all the difference. Having sex with her partner, her best friend, the man she loved, was the best experience in her life. And for Marshall, it was everything he had imagined it would be.

When they had finished, he held her close. What he found surprising was that she let him. She had followed his lead, allowing him to set the pace. He hadn't known what to expect after, but he couldn't be happier with the outcome. Her head lay on his chest, his arm around her. Her breathing had finally evened out and he assumed that she had fallen asleep. Her voice pulled him out of his daze, "You were right, that was totally worth it."

Marshall chuckled. "Do you know what the best part of tonight was?"

Mary thought for a second. There had been several moments that ranked high in her mind, most of them accompanied by screams of ecstasy. She kept her silence though, waiting on his answer. "You just admitted I was right." Mary punched him, not too hard, but she laughed while doing it. She knew he was kidding. He had done a fair amount of that screaming.

Mary's voice was quiet when she spoke, "You know what I think the best part was?"

Marshall moved his hand to cup the back of her head and she raised her eyes to meet his, "The sex?"

Mary laughed out loud, a sound that Marshall heard so rarely, but truly adored. "That was pretty amazing," she felt a shiver run down her spine, remembering once again the events of the last few hours. "Ok, that was mind blowing. But that's not what I meant."

Marshall marveled at that for a moment. He knew he was good but he hadn't been sure that he would be able to impress her. Of course, he was more interested in what she considered better than the sex. "So, what was the best part?"

Mary leaned in and kissed Marshall, long and sweet. "I figured out a way to shut you up."

Marshall groaned and Mary laughed. He pulled her close again, letting her know full well that she might be able to shut him up, but he could make her scream.


End file.
